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Here is the Tiefling Sorcerer I just started working on for my next D&D campaign. My lovely wife is a writer and helped me with the backstory. Take a gander at the backstory and let me know what you think if you'd like... Otherwise, just take a look at the figure and follow along. I've been going back and forth with whether or not I should cut his horns off to fit the backstory or not.

Spoiler

She found me in an alleyway—thin, filthy, and wishing for death. The halfling girl appeared as malnourished as I, except she had a twinkle of life in her blue eyes that I’m sure did not show in my red ones.

“Why are you laying down? Are you a tiefling? Where are your horns? Are you going to eat that?” she spouted in quick succession and pointed to the loaf of moldy rye, my brother Dread had delivered.

Dread still brought decaying, acrid food as he waited for me to break enough to swear allegiance to the dark causes that would allow me to return to my remaining family. With an ancestor’s promise to the damned on my father’s side, my mother had been the only good in my lineage, and I had caused her death.

I shifted to hide the stumps of my horns. My attempt to change what I was had only created viewable shame.

Still, she looked over me like I was a normal human street urchin. If only I were so lucky. To get her gaze off me, I pointed a thin finger at the lump. “If you can stomach such a vile treat, you are welcome to all you can eat.”

Why the moment called for poetry was beyond me, but she was young and seemed in need of cheering. She giggled a melodious note, sparking warmth in my chest that reminded me of days long gone.

Her head tilted, dropping matted curls that could have been blonde to her shoulder. “Are you a bard?”

“No,” I said as she plopped down close in front of me and took a bite of the used-to-be food. “How old are you?”

A moment of worry crossed her eyes. “O-old enough to be careful of strangers.”

“You don't appear to be afraid of me.”

“Well, I wasn’t.” She shifted back and moved to drop her meal. “I can scream you know.”

In this area, that would only sound a dinner bell. I caught her meaning though. “You’re safe with me. I only wonder why a halfling is living on the street at such a young age. Do you not have family?”

She shook her head and tucked into the bread. “I was stolen from them—meant to be a slave for some creeper guy. He didn’t think I could pick locks but I’d been practicing since I was a mere sprout.” She gave a smug smile that needed a good scrubbing with a toothbrush. The grin was brief though. “Now, I don’t know how to get home. They’re in Waterdeep and no one will help me. Where’s your family?”

“With my anger.” I laid on the cold ground, away from her so I didn’t have to watch her leave. Not that she’d believe me anyway if I were to tell her the story.

“My father and brother pushed me to causes I was against until I could no longer stand for the abuse,” I confessed without thought. “Enraged, my powers of sorcery came to pass. A flame blazed from my palms, lit from an eternal fire I wasn’t aware I possessed. I torched our home in seconds. When I realized what I had done, I searched and found my mother barely clinging to life. As I pulled her from the rubble, she told me to seek my light…” I try to gulp away the tingle in my throat. “Because she’d always known how bright I was and that I’d choose the right way.”

The silence is heavy and I’m sure she’s left me. Then a sniffle sounds. I glance back to a watery blue gaze and in her tiny voice she whispers, “I’m sorry.”

***

Cora stayed next to me after my confession, balled up on a nest of papers and sludge. I recited whispered limericks until she made soft sleep sounds. Rest was elusive for me because I worried that one of the many dark creatures in the night would spring upon us. It wasn’t me I feared for, but the tiny ball of sunshine trusting me to keep her safe.

As light stirred her from sleep, I stood and took her hand in mine. “Let’s get you home.”

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Finally finished this guy and posted him up in the Show Off forum. I decided against cutting his horns at all based on how they lay on his head. I've got my eyes on another "Tiefling" mini over at Dark Sword Miniatures that may lend itself to cutting the horns a bit more readily. Thanks for following along and all the encouragement!

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This is a bit of an historical work. I actually painted this over 10 years ago, and rediscovered it whilst looking through one of my old online galleries. Being a Reaper mini and somthing I was very proud of at the time, I figured I would upload it here. It was one of the very last mini's I painted before selling off all my paints and and modelling supplies and quitting the hobby (I got back into it recently as a result of the Covid19 lockdown, and I cant for the life of me imagine what ever possessed me to stop).

Anyway, I absolutely love this sculpt, as it reminds me of a D&D Marilith and I have a soft spot for iconic D&D beasties.

EDIT: Edited the upload in accordance with message board rules, unedited version can be found here: https://www.deviantart.com/daniel-singleton/art/Vandorendra-Demon-Reaper-175059764